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APC Accuses Nigeria Police, Electoral Commission Of Working Together To Impose Governor Wike’s Candidates On Rivers People

APC Accuses Nigeria Police, Electoral Commission Of Working Together To Impose Governor Wike’s Candidates On Rivers People
March 23, 2023

The APC accused the Peoples Democratic Party, the police and INEC of working together to truncate democracy in the state, adding that there was no election in the real sense of it.

The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigeria Police of brazenly working together to install Governor Nyesom Wike’s preferred candidates as winners of the just-concluded governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.

The APC accused the Peoples Democratic Party, the police and INEC of working together to truncate democracy in the state, adding that there was no election in the real sense of it.

This was made known in a statement signed by Chief Emeka Beke, Rivers State APC Chairman, inviting Nigerians to note that some members of the APC, Rivers State chapter, lost their lives in Ahoada West Local Government Area on March 18, 2023.

According to the statement, the events of March 18 and 19, 2023, witnessed the suppression of votes, bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, intimidation of voters, outright violence and brutal killings in the state.

The APC said those anti-democratic actions clearly violate Sections 125 and 128 of the 2022 Electoral Act (as amended), and can never be forgotten or swept under the carpet by a million broadcasts.

The party restated that what has happened in the state in the last two elections amounts to pyrrhic victories obtained through Order 23, which is an unwritten marching order to local government council chairmen to return Governor Wike's anointed candidates or get sacked.

The statement reads in part, "Our attention has been drawn to some of the comments made by the outgoing Governor of Rivers State, Barr Nyesom Wike on live broadcast.

"That the capital 'G' Governor, unconscious of his audience gave away his coarse, pugilistic and authoritarian disposition, as he merely revealed every strategy he applied and how he arranged robbery of votes in candidates' units.

"As he easily knows the result of each polling unit, maybe before voting started or to justify words on the streets that results were allocated to each candidate several days before the day of election proper. The infamous broadcast showed how he planned the operations and the marching order he gave against each prominent politician in the state.

"Last Saturday’s election in Rivers State was between APC and INEC, the police and Wike’s PDP. There was no election in the real sense of it. INEC and the Police brazenly worked together to install Wike’s PDP candidates as winners of the election.

"As a party, we have repeatedly raised the alarm about how Wike using State resources that belong to Rivers people to compromise key institutions like INEC and the Police. What happened on Saturday was a systemic institutionalized rigging of the elections by Wike with the supposed umpire, INEC and the police actively doing the bidding of Wike.

"Wike’s weak and feeble attempt to distance himself from the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu failed woefully.  No amount of spin can change the facts Nigerians know, which is that; there exists  an unholy alliance between Wike and the INEC chairman.

"Wike is gloating that his PDP won elections in Rivers State. But everyone knows that PDP did not win the elections in Rivers State. PDP stole the elections with the active connivance and participation of INEC and the police. They were brazenly and shamelessly allocated votes.

"Then, a part of his interview had him shockingly downplay the death of the Campaign Coordinator of the APC Gubernatorial campaign at Ahoada West and others who were brutally murdered on election day for choosing to exercise their franchise and defending their votes against the marauding PDP rigging machinery which was unleashed across the state in order to foist his lackey who has not been able to explain to Rivers people how N 117billion naira of taxpayers’ money was withdrawn in cash across the counter.

"We are pained but not surprised at the dismissive response offered by the outgoings Governor, in a mindless attempt to explain away the killing of a PhD scholar who incidentally and quite significantly, should have been defending his doctoral thesis today, Thursday, 23rd March 2023, had his life not been mowed down by bullets of thugs organized by the PDP to forcefully impose themselves on the people of the state against their will.

“The events of 2023 bear resemblance with the yet-to-be-investigated killings of APC members in 2015 and during the 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State.

"For the avoidance of doubts, Nigerians are invited to note that the following members of the APC, Rivers State chapter, lost their lives in Ahoada West LGA alone on the 18th of March 2023, which include; Esor Godspower Ajahu, Ward 10, Unit 01; Chiosom Lennard Tabele, Ward 10 Unit 02 - LGA Cordinator; Okpara Chienyere - Unit 01 Ward 10; Goodnews Michael Okpara - Anakpo community Ward 8 Unit 5, while Two persons still missing in this LGA.”